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Subject Author Date
Blank Emails John Gregory 02-08-2006
Posted by John Gregory on February 8, 2006, 10:45 pm
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Over the past week or two, I've begun receiving blank emails from unknown
sources for no apparent reason. I did note that a number seemed to be
originating from an edu extension in New York state. I never open then but I
can tell they're blank from the preview window my Outlook 2003 Inbox. Here's
the latest Xqogfkq@optonline.com I guess this is webmail.

Any idea what's going on here?



Posted by Chuck on February 8, 2006, 11:45 pm
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On Thu, 09 Feb 2006 03:45:05 GMT, "John Gregory" <*email_address_deleted*>
wrote:

>Over the past week or two, I've begun receiving blank emails from unknown
>sources for no apparent reason. I did note that a number seemed to be
>originating from an edu extension in New York state. I never open then but I
>can tell they're blank from the preview window my Outlook 2003 Inbox. Here's
>the latest *email_address_deleted* I guess this is webmail.
>
>Any idea what's going on here?

1) They're mapping your domain. With no words in the body, they won't trigger
a filter.
2) The spam message was in a picture or other artifact, that got filtered by
your email system.
3) The dumb fuck spammer forgot to include a message.

Gravity is a myth;
The earth sucks!
http://www.againsttcpa.com/

Posted by John Gregory on February 9, 2006, 10:23 am
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Thanks, Chuck.

P.S. Like you close: "Gravity is a myth; The earth sucks!"

> On Thu, 09 Feb 2006 03:45:05 GMT, "John Gregory" <*email_address_deleted*>
> wrote:
>
>>Over the past week or two, I've begun receiving blank emails from unknown
>>sources for no apparent reason. I did note that a number seemed to be
>>originating from an edu extension in New York state. I never open then but
>>I
>>can tell they're blank from the preview window my Outlook 2003 Inbox.
>>Here's
>>the latest *email_address_deleted* I guess this is webmail.
>>
>>Any idea what's going on here?
>
> 1) They're mapping your domain. With no words in the body, they won't
> trigger
> a filter.
> 2) The spam message was in a picture or other artifact, that got filtered
> by
> your email system.
> 3) The dumb fuck spammer forgot to include a message.
>
> Gravity is a myth;
> The earth sucks!
> http://www.againsttcpa.com/



Posted by Moe Trin on February 9, 2006, 2:59 pm
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On Thu, 09 Feb 2006, in the Usenet newsgroup alt.computer.security, in article

>Over the past week or two, I've begun receiving blank emails from unknown
>sources for no apparent reason.

Phonebook or dictionary attack on the mail server. Spammers are using
zombies to try sending mail to common names or name sequences (such as
a last name with leading or trailing initial ['jdoe' or 'doej'] or trailing
number [doe23]) to get current lists of valid usernames. If the mail
server accepts the mail, the username is valid, and is added to the list
of valued contacts who want to receive spam. If the username is rejected,
the name doesn't get added. The list may then be sold to other spammers.

>I did note that a number seemed to be originating from an edu extension
>in New York state.

In theory, you could complain to your ISP. Probably won't do much good.

>I never open then but I can tell they're blank from the preview window my
>Outlook 2003 Inbox.

Get a real mail tool.

>Here's the latest Xqogfkq@optonline.com I guess this is webmail.

More likely it's just the output of a random character generator and is
totally meaningless. The "From:" header is part of the contents of the mail,
which is actually delivered based on what is called the 'envelope sender'.
You only see that information when looking in the 'Received: header put on
the mail by your ISP's mail server.

>Any idea what's going on here?

Normal spammer activity.

Old guy

Posted by Ron Lopshire on February 9, 2006, 8:05 pm
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John Gregory wrote:

> Over the past week or two, I've begun receiving blank emails from unknown
> sources for no apparent reason. I did note that a number seemed to be
> originating from an edu extension in New York state. I never open then but I
> can tell they're blank from the preview window my Outlook 2003 Inbox. Here's
> the latest Xqogfkq@optonline.com I guess this is webmail.

John,

Even Microsoft doesn't have enough resources to keep up with
Outlook/OE Preview Pane exploits. Don't take this the wrong way, but
are you nuts? I wouldn't use a preview pane with email from people
that I know, let alone from the creeps that are sending you email.

I have both Outlook and Outlook Express, but would never use them.
Every month I patch them, though, since MS has been kind enough to
embed them into WinXP and the Office Suite. I don't think that I can
remember a month in the past year where one or the other or both
didn't require some kind of fix, in many cases a critical fix. Here is
an advance notice of next week's fixes:

(http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/advance.mspx)

Look here for all of the recent Outlook/OE exploits:

(http://secunia.com/)
(http://www.us-cert.gov/)
(http://isc.sans.org/)

And then do a Google for Preview Pane exploits and see if you can find
a knowledgeable person not affiliated with MS who thinks that the
indiscriminate use of the Preview Pane in Outlook/OE is a good idea.

,-----quote------

Preview pane is just as safe as opening a message (actually a bit
safer, as it can't run as much active content as an opened message),
especially in newer versions with all of the current windows and
Outlook patches installed.

,-----endquote---

This is from an MS Outlook MVP. Sounds reassuring as hell, doesn't it?
Is there any security professional in the world who recommends opening
mail from unknown sources? Beam me up, Scottie! Please!

Ron :)

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